From patrol car crashes and physical assaults, to extreme weather events and active fire scenes, the concussion risks for law enforcement officers are ever-present on any given shift. Mid-Atlantic Concussion (MAC) Alliance is proud to provide its free Law Enforcement Concussion Baseline Testing Program to agencies throughout the region. It is our way of giving back to the men and women who protect and serve our communities every day.
Why Do Cops Need Concussion Baseline Testing? Isn’t That for Football Players?
While contact and high-impact athletes, like football players, do benefit greatly from having baseline screenings, they aren’t the only ones.
- A report to Congress from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention places the number of new concussion/traumatic brain injury (TBI) cases at 2 million annually.
- A 2016 Fact Sheet from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (the most recent data we have) shows the number of non-fatal injuries reported by law enforcement officers to be 4 times the number reported by all other occupations.
- A small study published in the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing involving 88 officers of the Midland Police Constabulary in England reported 57% of the police self-reported TBIs of different severities.
This is the extent of the data currently available. We hope future passage of H.R.2992: TBI and PTSD Law Enforcement Training Act in Congress will result in much-needed CDC research into law enforcement and first responders and TBI.
What the MAC Law Enforcement Concussion Baseline Testing Program Provides
MAC Alliance utilizes EyeGuide Focus 10-second infrared eye-tracking technology for this program. It provides:
- A rapid and non-invasive test in seconds that objectively captures, charts and analyzes data on the current state of the officer’s brain health
- A portable solution that can be brought to the police department for individual screenings
- 1,200 data points of eye movements captured in a single screening
- A complete and confidential baseline report delivered to the individual officer’s personal email that they may keep and use with their own physicians or with MAC in the event of a future head injury
- Scheduling around your department’s shift rotations or training days, to make the screenings as convenient as possible
In addition we can provide:
- Presentations to officers and administration on the risks, symptoms and proper diagnosis of concussions and TBIs
- Informational materials for law enforcement departments on concussions
We feel strongly that law enforcement officers need all the information and data on the health of their brain before and after a concussion or TBI. The same baseline testing that is available for athletes should be brought to the law enforcement community.
Vincent Schaller, MD, DABFM, CIC, medical director and founder of Mid-Atlantic Concussion (MAC) Alliance, is committed to providing this brain health testing program to law enforcement officers for free:
“I have worked with many police officers in my concussion practice, so I understand the head injury risks involved with the work they do. My team and I want to give back to these people who have been putting their lives on the line to protect and serve their communities. These baseline tests are a way of showing our appreciation for all that they do.”
Contact Us to Find Out More
Joseph Collins is the Baseline Testing Coordinator and creator of the Law Enforcement program. He is a retired New Jersey police corporal and brings his career experience of desire to support the law enforcement community to this project. He can be reached by email at jcollins@macphysicians.com, or by calling 856-371-7389.
News About Our Law Enforcement Baseline Program
Retired Cop Helping Local Officers Avoid Lasting Effects of Concussions
March 30, 2022
WFMZ-TV 69News, which serves Eastern Pennsylvania and Western New Jersey communities, featured our Law Enforcement Baseline Testing Program in honor of Brain Injury Awareness Month. The program offers free, confidential concussion baseline testing for officers and is currently expanding in the Lehigh Valley, and other Mid-Atlantic Communities. Interested agencies can contact Baseline Program Coordinator Joe Collins at jcollins@macphysicians.com for more information.
Philly Area Law Enforcement Further Brain Health Awareness
March 24, 2022
Brain Injury Awareness Month was a busy news period for MAC Alliance! Our Law Enforcement Baseline Testing Program was the focus of a detailed story by Philly Patch. The new program kicked off with more than 50 officers in the Gloucester County, New Jersey, area. Each officer received a free, confidential concussion baseline report after taking the 10-second infrared EyeGuide Focus test. Spearheaded by Baseline Program Coordinator and retired police corporal Joe Collins, the program seeks to expand throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Lehigh Valley Resident Helps Law Enforcement Officers with Baseline Screenings for Concussions
March 24, 2022
MAC Alliance Baseline Program Coordinator Joe Collins and our new Law Enforcement Baseline Testing Program were profiled in The Lehigh Valley Ledger in honor of National Brain Injury Awareness Month. Joe is a Lehigh Valley resident and retired police corporal, and he has expanded our baseline programing beyond schools and sports teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. The police screenings free and designed to work around each department’s scheduling system to ensure every officer gets a confidential brain health baseline report. In the event of a head injury, comparing a post-accident baseline screening to the officer’s baseline will help significantly with diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
